Let the Circus Begin

The New York Yankees had their first full-squad workout on Monday and it seemed as if all eyes were focused on the 1:35 pm batting practice session because that was when Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez were scheduled to hit. Fans flocked to George Steinbrenner Field to get a glimpse of the powerful trio take batting practice together for the first time and ESPN even aired live coverage of the session as though it was the Home Run Derby.

The scene was nothing short of a circus as spectators ‘oohed’ and awed at the sight of baseballs taking flight. The trio did not disappoint, launching home runs in every direction, some of which might still be in orbit.

When speaking to reporters following the BP session, manager Aaron Boone said, “Gary rakes. That’s what I think. He’s special.” It seems Sanchez is the forgotten man with Judge and Stanton in town but he shouldn’t be. You mustn’t sleep on El Gary. He has more than enough power to keep pace with Judge and Stanton.

The blast impressed Judge who told reporters, “Stanton’s off the scoreboard, that was pretty nice.”

If anything, the first day of full-squad spring training illustrated that the Yankees’ season will probably be a must-see event. Fans—both at home and on the road—will fill stadiums early to get a look at the trio take batting practice and the media will follow every move made by both Stanton and Judge. It will be fun to watch and the players should enjoy and relish the opportunity. Nonetheless, it is imperative that the Yankees are able to ignore outside distractions and focus on what is important: baseball. It might take some time to adapt to the spotlight put on this 2018 Yankee team but that’s what spring training is for.